Policy Archives - Ascend Magazine Website

Insight, Policy, Voices

May 25, 2023

Cayton asks ChatGPT: Is AI a good thing or a bad thing?

Is AI a good thing or a bad thing? It's a question that's currently top of mind for lawmakers and citizens alike as the development of increasingly powerful AI technologies continues at a rapid pace. As Harry Cayton recently contemplated this question, he decided to ask ChatGPT to see what it had to say.

AI, Harry Cayton

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Policy

Regulatory policies are ever-evolving and differ widely from coast to coast and around the world. We keep a pulse on the active world of regulation and licensing.

AI, Harry Cayton

May 25, 2023

Cayton asks ChatGPT: Is AI a good thing or a bad thing?

Is AI a good thing or a bad thing? It's a question that's currently top of mind for lawmakers and citizens alike as the development of increasingly powerful AI technologies continues at a rapid pace. As Harry Cayton recently contemplated this question, he decided to ask ChatGPT to see what it had to say.

CLEAR, Dublin, ICPOR, Professional Licensing

May 15, 2023

Dispatches from Dublin: How knowledge, innovation, and creativity empower regulators

CLEAR’s recent International Congress in Dublin, Ireland took an in-depth look at common challenges dominating the world of modern regulation. Paul Leavoy shares his insights from the conference, which explored issues like improving continuing education efforts, how marketing tactics can bolster regulatory efforts, and why regulators should start thinking of regulation as a verb instead of a noun.

Canada, Elections, Governance, Law, Ontario, Professional Licensing

May 3, 2023

When are governance elections threats to self-regulating professions?

Governance elections are a vital dimension to healthy self-regulation. But as Ken Osborne explores in this article, they are increasingly under threat from low voter participation and politicization that can cause tension between representative and regulatory functions.

Cryptocurrency, Digital Government, Finance, Regulation

April 28, 2023

A timeline of cryptocurrency regulation in America (Part 4): The Crypto Collapse

Our series on the history of cryptocurrency regulation in America concludes with a look at the 2022 crypto collapse. One after another, several major crypto firms filed for bankruptcy, causing Bitcoin and Ether to plunge in value. But even as many crypto founders faced criminal charges, the regulatory environment was still characterized by confusion and contradictions.

Interstate compacts, Multi-jurisdictional Licensing, Professional Licensing, Regulation

April 26, 2023

An exhaustive breakdown of interstate compacts in the U.S.

Just how many interstate licensing agreements are active in the U.S.? And in which professions are regulators looking to further promote license mobility? In our latest Ascend article, we take an in-depth look at the country's largest active and pending multistate licensing agreements.

Harry Cayton, Internationally educated, labor shortages, Professional Licensing, Regulation

April 19, 2023

Recruitment of international professionals should engender regulatory cooperation, not competition: Cayton

Facing dire labor shortages in various health professions, legislatures are encouraging, cajoling, or ordering regulators to speed up and simplify the licensing of international professionals. But as Harry Cayton explores in his latest Voices column, there are often unintended consequences to this migration.

British Columbia, Canada, Law, Licensing Reform, Paralegals, Professional Licensing

April 5, 2023

British Columbia inches towards a single legal regulator for lawyers, notaries, and paralegals

Regulatory reform of the legal services sector appears underway in British Columbia as the province considers moving the regulation of lawyers, paralegals, and notaries under a single regulator. Ken Osborne explores the rationale for reform as well as the potential benefits of the single statute, single regulator model.

Cryptocurrency, Digital Government, Finance, Regulation

March 30, 2023

A timeline of cryptocurrency regulation in America (Part 3): The 2021 Bull Run

Part 3 of our series on the history of cryptocurrency regulation in America looks at the 2021 Bull Run. During this period, which culminated in Bitcoin reaching an all-time high of $68,000, disagreements continued over the classification of Ether as a commodity and calls for regulatory clarity grew louder.

Australia, Centralization, CLEAR, Colorado, Health Care, Interstate compacts, Martin Fletcher, U.K., U.S.

March 23, 2023

Regulatory centralization in health care and beyond: What can we learn from the Australian model?

Ahpra offers a rare example of transformational change in the world of regulation. Over a decade after its founding, what has the agency taught us about what centralized health care regulation in practice can look like and how it can be implemented? What does centralization look like elsewhere in the world? We investigate this and more in our latest insight piece.

Harry Cayton, Regulators

March 9, 2023

How boards, councils, and committees unwittingly employ the Simple Sabotage Field Manual

Written during World War II, the Simple Sabotage Field Manual instructed civilians living in Nazi-occupied territories on how to disrupt organizations by purposefully sabotaging productivity and progress. In this Voices column, Harry Cayton explores the striking similarities between the manual's advice on how to sabotage meetings and behaviors commonly seen at regulatory board and committee meetings today.

Cryptocurrency, Digital Government, Finance, Regulation

February 24, 2023

A timeline of cryptocurrency regulation in America (Part 2): Enter Ethereum

Part 1 of our series on the history of cryptocurrency regulation in America looked at the burgeoning years of cryptocurrency – mainly Bitcoin – and the attempt to regulate it through criminal enforcement actions. In Part 2, GovTech and regulation lawyer Sean Gellis covers the birth of the Ethereum network, the 2017 Bull Run, and the long crypto winter that followed it.

Compliance, Construction, Disaster preparedness, Enforcement, Regulation, Turkey

February 16, 2023

Turkey earthquake reminds us regulation is as effective as compliance and enforcement

As the magnitude of the devastation wrought by the recent earthquake in Turkey becomes clearer, it’s fair to wonder how something like this could have happened. After a similar earthquake 24 years ago, Turkey implemented stringent building standard regulations. So why did the recent earthquake cause such widespread destruction? Paul Leavoy explores.

Harry Cayton, Regulation, risk-based regulation

February 9, 2023

When perception trumps science in assessing regulatory risk, we all lose

Experts like Malcolm Sparrow commonly assert that regulation is about the prevention of harms. But in order to prevent harms, we must understand risk – and this is where it gets complicated for policymakers. In this Voices article, Harry Cayton explores how our perception of risk in many parts of our lives differs from the actual risk of harm, and how this can distort regulatory policy.

Cryptocurrency, Digital Government, Finance, Regulation

January 27, 2023

A timeline of cryptocurrency regulation in America (Part 1): Have regulators been clear?

In the wake of a tumultuous year for cryptocurrency, governments around the world are making moves to regulate digital currencies. While recent headlines suggest a flurry of scattered efforts to apply rules to govern cryptocurrency and its exchanges, this is a continuation of a regulatory trend.

Crypto’s history with regulators, lawmakers, and enforcement agencies spans a decade, but it can be challenging to make sense of it all. In the first part of this series on the history of cryptocurrency regulation, Ascend contributor Sean Gellis explores how the two have intersected over time, taking us back to the origins of digital currency and a comprehensive timeline of early cryptocurrency regulation in the U.S.

DOJ, FTC, Joe Biden, Licensing Reform, Occupational licensing

August 18, 2022

A year after Biden’s executive order on competition, action on occupational licensing falls short

It's been over a year since President Biden signed his executive order on competition, which specifically called for the loosening of “unfair occupational licensing restrictions.” We checked in on recent developments and looked at what might lie ahead.

Law, Ontario, Paralegals, Professional Licensing

July 6, 2022

Could a new family services license for paralegals help increase access to justice in Ontario?

Fifteen years after the introduction of licensing for paralegals, Ontario still faces a troubling access to justice problem, and this is especially being felt in family law, where paralegals can’t currently provide services. The Law Society of Ontario is pursuing the implementation of a Family Legal Services Provider License for paralegals to help increase access to justice, but not everyone thinks it’s a good idea. In this article, we take a deeper look at this important issue.

SPECIAL REPORT

An exhaustive breakdown of interstate compacts

The Week in Brief is your weekly snapshot of regulatory news and what's happening in the world of professional licensing, government technology, and public policy.
This week in regulatory news, online gaming operators in Quebec form a coalition to call for new industry regulations, Missouri moves to tighten licensing restrictions for assistant physicians, and more.

Insight Process

Goals-based Regulation

A look at common approaches to regulation

While there are a wide range of approaches to regulation, broadly speaking, three common approaches prevail – rules-based (prescriptive), goals-based, and management-based regulation. In this article, we break down these three common approaches and take a look at their benefits and challenges.

Goals-based Regulation Management-based Regulation Regulation Rules-based Regulation

Insight

Ascend-article-0601-Workforce-planning-banner-cropped

California

Public sector exodus: Behind America’s government workforce crisis

What is to be done about the ongoing exodus of workers from public sector positions in the U.S.? How can government offices work to hire, recruit, and retain the talent needed to provide effective public services? We explore this and more in Ascend’s first-ever look at workforce planning.

California COVID-19 labor shortages Workforce Planning

Podcast

David Benton

David Benton on health care regulation, technology, and risk: Ascend Radio

In this episode of Ascend Radio, David Benton, CEO of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), sits down with Ascend Magazine Editor Paul Leavoy to discuss technology in health care regulation, the upcoming next-generation NCLEX exams, regulating support workers, and much more.

David Benton Health Care Licensing Reform NCSBN Nursing Professional Licensing

In Brief Regulatory News

Cosmetology

Massachusetts considers mobile sports betting licenses: Weekly regulatory news

The Week in Brief is your weekly snapshot of regulatory news and what's happening in the world of professional licensing, government technology, and public policy.
Massachusetts gaming regulators review applications for mobile sports betting licenses, Kentucky expands assessment options for teachers, and more in our weekly look at regulatory news.

Cosmetology Education Gambling Housing Kentucky Massachusetts Mississippi Montana Occupational licensing Oklahoma Professional Licensing Teachers Universal Licensure

In Brief Regulatory News

Alaska

Virginia approves universal license recognition: Weekly regulatory news

The Week in Brief is your weekly snapshot of regulatory news and what's happening in the world of professional licensing, government technology, and public policy.
This week in regulatory news, Virginia approves universal licensure legislation, Alaska makes it easier for licensed professionals who move to the state to get to work faster, France passes stringent licensing rules for crypto firms, and much more.

Alaska Cryptocurrency DEI Education France Health Care Regulation labor shortages Licensing Reform Professional Licensing Regulation Tennessee Texas U.S. Universal Licensure Virginia

Insight Policy Voices

Harry Cayton

When perception trumps science in assessing regulatory risk, we all lose

Experts like Malcolm Sparrow commonly assert that regulation is about the prevention of harms. But in order to prevent harms, we must understand risk – and this is where it gets complicated for policymakers. In this Voices article, Harry Cayton explores how our perception of risk in many parts of our lives differs from the actual risk of harm, and how this can distort regulatory policy.

Harry Cayton Regulation risk-based regulation

Insight International Policy Voices

COVID-19

‘New normal’ asks us to question original regulatory requirements

The global pandemic has introduced a number of changes to regulation and licensing around the world. But are they permanent? And if regulatory requirements were loosened, were they even necessary in the first place? In this Voices column, leading regulatory authority Harry Cayton explores the pandemic’s impact on regulation.

COVID-19 pandemic Professional Licensing Regulation

International People Process Voices

Ascend-blog-1101-Martin-Fletcher-2-banner-cropped

Australia

COVID-19, practitioner misconduct, and data-driven health regulation: A conversation with Martin Fletcher (Part 2)

In Part 2 of our Q&A series with Ahpra CEO Martin Fletcher, we discuss the impacts of COVID-19 on health care regulation and the promise of data-driven technology in the public sector.

Australia COVID-19 Digital Government Health Care Health Care Regulation Martin Fletcher Multi-jurisdictional Licensing Physicians

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